Terra Firma

Shrimp and Scallop risotto.
Veal Ravioli.

Octopus (foreground) and frog legs.

Terra Restaurant in Charlotte is tucked away in the 500 block of Providence Road next to the Starbucks. Seating maybe 40 people, this little gem has a neighborhood atmosphere that belies its sophisticated food menu and wine list. The vibe is one of family and friends as proprietor Thierry Garconnet greets all diners with a warm smile and handshake and usually a look of personal recognition if you have dined there even only once. His face is familiar, I recognized him from his years at Toscana in the South Park area. Our waiter on this occasion was another fellow who had been at Toscana. One cool thing about Terra is seeing all of the folks come in who seemingly live in the surrounding neighborhood and treat it as their neighborhood place for culinary delight. Truth be known, there are few restaurants in this country who will provide the diner with such a strong dining experience. The service is excellent and the food interesting and tasty. I would say it is French with an Italian influence. There is a "carpaccio of the day". On this occasion it was octopus. The extremely thinly sliced octopus bathed in a slightly flavored olive oil film accompanied by escarole and croutons. A sublime but delicious dish. There were frog legs, cut so the entire hindquarter was still joined. Cooked enough to be cooked but cooked slightly enough to be tender in a garlic butter sauce. Then sweetbreads and kidneys lightly breaded and fried with a rich cream sauce. Some vichysoisse was good but lacked the presence of leeks and flavor. As entrees we had a veal ravioli that was beautifully displayed and featured fresh pasta. A risotto with fresh mushrooms and perfectly cooked shrimp and scallops was flawless. Desserts such as mousse and tiramisu rounded out the gluttony. It was simply a beautiful evening for F's birthday and was an indulgent meal. In that we have been eating healthily (low cholesterol and sugar), we found that the meal was a little hard on the stomach but this was no reflection on the quality of the food but moreso on our evolved stomachs. Highly recommended: www.terracharlotte.com